Re Directorate

Bellsouth Corp
27 April 2001



For More Information Contact: 
Peg Bernhardt 
BellSouth Media Relations
404-249-3195 
peg. [e-mail]

               
               Swearingen announces retirement from BellSouth;
      Dunn elected Senior VP Corporate Compliance & Corporate Secretary

April 27, 2001, ATLANTA - Carl E. Swearingen, BellSouth's senior vice president
- Corporate Compliance and Corporate Secretary, will retire August 1, 2001,
bringing to a close a distinguished career with the company. Rebecca M. Dunn,
currently BellSouth vice president - Shared Services, has been elected to
replace Swearingen.

Swearingen began his telecommunications career in 1972 as an office manager in
Tucker, Ga. He held other positions in metro Atlanta, Valdosta and Augusta, Ga.,
and in 1977 he became general public relations manager for Georgia. In 1985, he
became assistant vice president - Public Affairs in Charlotte, NC, and in 1989
he was named president of BellSouth operations in Georgia. He was elected a
corporate officer and promoted to his current position in 1998.

'As both a state president and a corporate officer, Car has made a tremendous
impact not only on our company's success, but also on the economic development
of Georgia and its communities,' said BellSouth Chairman and CEO Duane Ackerman.
'He's been a valuable member of the BellSouth team for many years, and we will
genuinely miss his leadership.'

A native of Parkersburg, West Virginia, Swearingen is a graduate of the
University of Georgia, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in
journalism in 1967 and 1969, respectively. He also received a master of science
degree in management from MIT in 1985.

Swearingen serves on several boards of directors, including the University of
Georgia Foundation; Berry College; the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; the
Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education; Georgia Industry, Trade and
Tourism; and the Museum of Aviation.

Becky Dunn, currently BellSouth vice president - shared services, has been
elected to replace Swearingen, effective June 1, 2001.

Dunn joined South Central Bell in 1970 as an assistant engineer at the
company's Birmingham headquarters. She advanced through positions with
increasing responsibility in engineering and operations and was appointed
assistant vice president-Public Affairs in 1984. She became general manager
Business Marketing for Alabama and Mississippi in 1987. Dunn was elected an
officer of the company and named vice president-Corporate Affairs in 1989, and
she became vice president Human Resources & Corporate Services in 1991. She was
named to her current position in 1999.

'Becky brings a breadth of experience and knowledge to the office of corporate
compliance and secretary,' said Ackerman. I am confident she will serve the
company well in this new role, and that we will all benefit from her strong
leadership.'

A native of Selma, Ala., Dunn attended Randolph-Macon Women's College in
Lynchburg, Va., and Reading University in Reading, England. She received a BS
degree in mathematics from Auburn University in 1970.

Dunn serves on the advisory council to the College of Business at Auburn
University and is a member of several boards of directors, including the Atlanta
History Center; Homeward, Inc.; the Centennial Olympic Park Association (COPA)
and Central Atlanta Progress. She also is an active supporter of the Girl
Scouts, the United Way and the American Heart Association.

About BellSouth Corporation

BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company
headquartered in Atlanta, GA, serving more than 45 million customers in the
United States and 16 other countries.

Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a full
array of broadband data and e-commerce solutions to business customers,
including Web hosting and other Internet services. In the residential
market,BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features
and other services, BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising
services, including BellSouth(R) Real PagesSM. com.

BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation's second largest
wireless company, which provides innovative wireless data and voice services.